Image Credit: Netflix
Netflix’s eight-episode sci-fi drama borough shares similar DNA with stranger things, As well as classic Spielberg and The Goonies. But this time, it puts senior citizens at its centre. Does it exude the same magic as the legendary images that apparently inspired it, or come across as a cheap phoned-in cash grab?
Let’s start with this: borough There is an extremely talented team behind it. The series is created by Jeffrey Addis and Will Matthews, who are famous for their science-fiction and fantasy works. The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance To The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It’s also produced by Netflix royalty Matt and Ross Duffer stranger things fame), marking their second 2026 Netflix original series produced under their Upside Down Pictures umbrella. Back in March, he debuted the horror something very bad is going to happenA limited series that went over really well with fans.
The series also features an experienced cast – the lead cast has nearly 350 years of combined acting experience. And such experience certainly shows in his stellar performance; They’re getting older, but the infectious energy remains. I was particularly influenced by Clarke Peters (Wire), who plays Art, an elderly resident who momentarily regains his youthful energy and spirit after consuming a peach capable of inducing ‘Fountain of Youth’ style body transformation. Then there’s Alfre Woodard (1)2 years of slavery) as Judy; Plain and simple, she gets involved in monster-hunting. Also, the famous Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise, A League of Their Own) also includes. As artists go, it doesn’t get more experienced.
Of the entire cast, the standout is our headline star, Alfred Molina, as former engineer Sam Cooper, who begins the series as a timid, irritable, and all-rounder. While the indifferent side of his character rarely Shifts – Fights against Molina City He ruled with all the zeal, determination and intensity that he had when he fought the war two decades ago spider man As in Doctor OK.
Baro. (Left to Right) Dennis O’Hare as Wally, Alfre Woodard as Judy, Alfred Molina as Sam in The Burrow. Ten million. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
From the beginning, Netflix’s borough A lot is being done for this; The series takes place in a delightful – yet undeniably strange – New Mexico retirement cul-de-sac community called borough. The sun-drenched, seeming oasis is located in the heart of the desert, and it includes everything seniors need to live their lives in peace and content – whether it’s a golf course (or two), picturesque views, pure conformity, and so on. It offers its residents ‘the time of their lives’ – but of course, it’s a supernatural romance, and there’s strangeness lurking beneath its cozy and pleasant surface. The trope is very strong in this series.
we’ve been taken in borough Through the lens of Sam (Molina), who is accepted into the community by his family. Cooper is not immediately satisfied with Burrow’s manufactured, artificial charms; He himself calls it a ‘gilded prison’. Trapped in his grief and with no interest in leaving his small home, he finds himself drawn into its mystery when he witnesses a supernatural being. The people running the operation – particularly Blaine (Seth Numrich) and Anneliese (Alice Kremmelberg) – pass off the supernatural strangeness as elderly babble, or, even better, play willfully ignorant, but Sam knows what he saw. Maybe the adventure has to happen after all. And while he’s not helped by corrupt leaders, he does find unlikely allies in fellow community members, especially Judy, Art, and Wally (at least at first, anyway).
Baro. (Left to Right) Clarke Peters as Art, Alfre Woodard as Judy, Alfred Molina as Sam, Dennis O’Hare as Wally, Geena Davis as Renee in The Burrow. Ten million. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
As far as the monster side of the story goes, it pretty much resonates with stranger thingsFocusing on dirty human rule ahead of real monsters. The animals themselves are spider-like and have a typical Spielberg (Amblin-era) aesthetic about them. They feed on human brain fluid and have the ability to develop a kind of anti-aging serum (which, to the leaders of the Burrow, is apparently invaluable). But this liquid is in the hands of wrong people. The monsters are well designed, and I’d expect nothing less from a show created by the duo behind The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
tonight, borough Heart is given priority over fear. You will not be afraid; This is not that type of series. The monster-scare element is really high-stakes, but never strays too far into jumpy or gory territory. Rather, its heartfelt nature shines through, especially in the themes of grief and moving on. At the beginning of the series, Sam Cooper is a recent widower, and his daughter helps him with the transition process of moving to the Burrow, which he is terrified of – he is moving to an unfamiliar place on his own. As he moves into his new daily life, it seems as if his wife’s shadow is constantly following him, and he begins to feel a sudden, intense panic. I was pleasantly surprised by this deep and raw way borough Shows sadness. It added an unexpected level of heart and emotional significance to the story.
It’s also refreshing to see a series like this, and not see age as a weakness that trumps everything else. our main group Is It’s underestimated and ignored by those running the borough, but the show never places restrictions on its characters because of age. They dive into their monster-hunting at the deep end. It never falls into the trap of making aging a punchline.
mvp
Baro. Alfred Molina as Sam in The Burroughs. Ten million. Courtesy of Netflix © 2026
alfred molina – Molina’s hero Sam Cooper has been put through the ringer this season. A recent widower, he finds himself an outcast in a secluded retirement community. After encountering a monster, he goes into full-on investigation mode to uncover the dark secrets behind the Burrow, and makes new friends along the way. Sam may be troubled throughout, but Molina can play his emotional, thrilling journey in a way only a seasoned veteran can.
decision
borough The Duffers continue to deliver solid performances for Upside Down pictures so far in 2026. on the contrary something very bad is going to happen (which I believe is easily the better of the two), it has a formulaic approach. It’s a tried-and-true formula that dates back decades, and the Duffers are doing their best to bring ‘misfits vs. monsters’ to a new generation. It sounds like a mashup between stranger things (except it trades the bike for a golf cart) and the cult 1985 classic cocoonBoth in terms of storytelling and aesthetics. i imagine cocoon Comparisons will soon start flowing in large numbers online and perhaps this will bring the film’s popularity back up. But above all, there is one on a large scale, Clear Amblin Entertainment influence that permeates all 8 episodes. It brings that quintessential Spielberg aesthetic to a series set in modern times.
Sure, borough is a fun and charming series, but it falls heavily victim to the classic Hollywood ‘town with a dark secret’ trope – and honestly, it’s not the best example of that. It lacks the magic of the classics that fuel its inspiration, and so sometimes feels very predictable, as if we’ve seen this story told many times before.
after a whole adventure boroughThe series ends with a tease for another season. The ending of Season 1 is enough to leave you completely satisfied, but it’s clear that the writers are waiting to write another installment in case Netflix renews it.
